This invention relates to a power line communication system, and more particularly to a power line communication system utilizing a local area network to relay utility usage data to a transmitting meter for transmission to a central database.
A power line communication system typically transmits and receives data over standard electrical house type wiring. An example of such a system is the remote intercom system using electrical wiring within a building to communicate data between the transmitter and receiver. A system such as this does not communicate with an external database, nor does it communicate between two or more buildings.
Utility meter communication systems exist that communicate with a central database by way of a radio frequency transmitter. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,239 discloses a system in which utility meter electronics communicate with a remote interrogator in a vehicle as it approaches the utility meter in a building. Additionally, utility meter communication systems exist which are able to communicate via telephone with a central database as is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,618. Utility meters in these utility meter communication systems lack the ability to communicate with one another and consequently, each utility meter must communicate with the central database or mobile interrogator. It would be desirable for utility meters within a utility meter communication network to have the capability of communicating with one another between multiple buildings. Additionally, there exists a need for a power line utility meter communication system with the capability of communicating with other utility meters within a local area network and communicating with a central database.
Present utility meter communication devices employ several electronic parts which result in a high cost of acquisition and maintenance of the communication module. It is desirable to have a utility meter communications system with relatively few parts that communicates with other utility meters and that can be constructed cheaply, and that require little maintenance.